Tanzer 14 Buyer's Guide
The Tanzer 14 is a Canadian two-person recreational dinghy designed by Johann Tanzer and built by Tanzer Industries starting in 1970. A few hundred were produced before the design left production by the time the builder closed in 1986. On the used market she appears as a small fiberglass centerboard dayboat, best understood as a simple trailer-sailer rather than a cruiser.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Tanzer 14 shares the same essential layout: an open cockpit sized for a crew of two, a pivoting centerboard keel, and a transom-hung rudder. The hull is solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, and the fractional sloop rig is consistent across the class. With the centerboard up the boat draws roughly half a foot to under three-quarters depending on load, so most used examples will have spent time on trailers or beaches rather than on moorings.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Because the 14 is a minimal day dinghy, the used fleet is light on complex systems. The most consequential items a buyer will encounter are the fractional sloop rigging and the centerboard lifting gear, plus basic trailering equipment suited to a 315-pound hull. Any added canvas or sail-handling tweaks are owner-level conveniences rather than factory options; navigation aboard is inherently visual and handheld. A buyer should focus on the condition of the standing rigging and the centerboard pivot, since those define whether the boat is ready to sail or needs work.
What to Inspect
The Tanzer 14 is built predominantly of fiberglass with a solid hull, so the principal inspection points are the centerboard trunk, the transom-hung rudder pintles, and the gelcoat for stress or impact damage. With an immersion rate near 259 pounds per inch, hull deformation under load is limited, but a used example should still be checked for cracks around the rudder stock and for free movement of the centerboard. The all-fiberglass build avoids the water-intrusion problems of earlier plywood-cored Tanzer small boats.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Tanzer 14 was built in Canada and the used fleet traces to that origin. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Confirm the centerboard lifts freely and the trunk is watertight
- Check transom rudder fittings for play or corrosion
- Inspect hull gelcoat for impact damage given the beach-launch draft
- Verify the fractional rigging is complete and untangled
A sound example offers an easy-to-own, roomy-for-her-size two-person dayboat with no hidden systems to fail.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tanzer 14. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $700 | — |
Where they're listed
Tanzer 14 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $700 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |